There’s one in every home: that wall that needs a little bit of love. Creating a wall collage of pictures is an easy and fun way to take up that empty space on a large wall, making any room feel fully inhabited. You can use your collage to display your interests, people you care about, or just images you enjoy. From setting the aesthetic of a room to showcasing your own personal taste, a photo wall collage offers a way to incorporate yourself into your home decor. Check out our unique wall collage ideas below as well as tips and tricks below on how to tackle this easy DIY project.
- Tips For Choosing Wall Art For Your Collage
- Planning The Wall Collage Layout
- Where To Put A Photo Wall Collage
- How To Hang A Wall Collage
Tips For Choosing Wall Art For Your Collage
The top piece of advice every person needs to choose the perfect wall art is this: select what you like. This is your opportunity to go wall-to-wall with the things you love. Spotlight family and friends, your hobbies or passions, or simply images that speak to you. You can find tips on how to choose your custom wall art, along with wall collage ideas for mixing and matching different sizes, textures, and materials below.
Find Your Starting Point
Do you have a painting, print, or photograph that you absolutely love? If you have some treasured pieces in hand, you’re already off to a great start. If not, find something that speaks to you, something that encapsulates how you want the rest of the room to feel, or even something that brings a smile to your face. Whatever you choose, this piece can be the anchor point that you can use as the foundation for your new wall collage.
Select Wall Art By Size
When selecting wall art for your wall collage, go with a general idea about the size you are looking for in a room. Many people find it easier to start with the larger pieces and work their way down. Art prints and premium posters cover a lot of surface area and work great as a background for your collage. Look for prints that match the other decorations in your room so the colors don’t clash with one another. You can include as many or as few posters or prints as you want for your collage.
Choose A Medium
The great thing about designing your own wall collage is that you can mix and match different mediums together. You can combine eclectic collections of canvas prints, wooden signs, decorative plates, and maybe even a pair of antlers or two that somehow come together to form a beautiful, unique wall collage. If you’re looking for a more cohesive look, you can go for a wall collage composed of all photo prints. The possibilities are essentially endless!
Stick With A Theme
What’s the overall theme you’re going for? How do you want it to feel? Would you like to see neat rows of similar works, or do you want to arrange eclectic gallery walls that showcase a variety of works? Wall collages that have a central concept always look a bit tighter and more put together than those that don’t. Choose a favorite theme (coastal vibes, botanical prints, a neutral color palette, family vacations, or inspirational wall quotes) and vary picture frames and sizes for visual interest. With a consistent theme, the wall looks pulled together.
Find Inspiration With Our Art Library Collection
Our Art Library Collection features curated designs that are perfect for creating wall collages. All you have to do is choose the product you want to customize, click “Add Photos” then select Art Library, and add your favorite image or design from our curated collection. This collection includes quotes, patterns, backgrounds, wedding and holiday themes, photographs, and more.
Planning The Wall Collage Layout
Before you attach your first photo print to the wall, arrange your collage on the floor to get an idea of how the photos play off of one another. Keep experimenting with layouts until you’re satisfied, then snap a quick pic on your phone so you don’t forget your arrangement, just in case you’re interrupted or need to move the photos in the middle of the project.
The thumb rule is to hang pictures at eye level. So, if you have a smaller collage, you can try to keep the center of it at eye level. If you have a large collage, feel free to experiment with the layout that works best for your space. Here are some wall collage layout ideas to help you get started:
- Rectangle Wall Collage: Make a rectangular shape if you want your collage organized. Line the elements of your collage next to one another to make a rectangular collage.
- Diagonal wall collage: If you have enough photos and posters to cover most of a wall, try taping images in a diagonal line. This arrangement will look more dynamic than just papering half the wall horizontally.
- Mural Wall Collage: Overlap items in your collage for a more eclectic look. Combine elements of your collage by gluing photos and cutouts together to make interesting overlaps.
- Cloud Shape Wall Collage: Form a cloud shape if you want the option to add more to your collage. Don’t let the outer edges of your collage form a straight line. When you want to add more things to your collage, you can easily put the new elements around the outside.
Where To Put A Photo Wall Collage
Contrary to popular notion, a photo wall college does not always have to be hung on the main wall in a living room or a bedroom. You can use them to fill just about any empty space – be it corners, the foyer, as bathroom wall art, surrounding the door frame, on the wall behind the headboard, or on the walls next to the stairs. Another great place to create a wall collage is around a wall-mounted TV. This makes the TV wall more visually appealing and less of an eye-sore, especially when the TV is off.
How To Hang A Wall Collage
There are many different ways to go about hanging a wall collage. Find out what’s perfect for your wall collage of pictures with our options below.
Nails Or Hooks
Use nails or picture hooks if you’re putting up custom framed photos or canvas prints. Use a pencil to mark the spot on your wall where you want to hang your pictures. Drive a nail or place a hook on the spot so it hangs about 1⁄4 in from the wall. Set your wall art on the nail or hook so it isn’t crooked. Keep hanging up the rest of your photos.
Tape Or Putty
Try double-sided tape for unframed pictures and custom posters. Peel the tape off of the dispenser and stick it in the corners of your photos or posters. Then, press the print onto the wall and rub the corners to ensure the tape gets a good hold. For a more decorative look, you can use colorful washi tape to attach the photos to the wall. If you have textured walls, reach for removable and reusable poster putty.
Push Pins
If you don’t mind a constellation of tiny holes in your drywall, hang your collage with large, colorful push pins that add dimension and visual interest. Hold the photo print up against your wall and push one of the pins through the top corner. Make sure your print is level if you want a straight edge before putting another pin in the other top corner.
Photo Tiles
Our new custom photo tiles are lightweight, premium quality metal prints that easily hang on your walls without the need of any nails, tools, or mess. Move them around with our advanced adhesive strips to transform your wall collage and create endless combinations. Personalized photo tiles let you print out your favorite moments and turn them into stickable & re-stickable wall art.
Final Thoughts
A wall collage of pictures is an easy DIY project that brings the visual excitement of everything you love into your home. Whether you turn your yearly photographs of the kids into beautiful mounted wall art, or get creative and make a photo plate for each member of the family, take your love of cherished memories and create a lovely gallery wall. Shutterfly has hundreds of options to mix, match, and pair with your favorite memories.
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